Can you believe it? After a solid three decades of faithful service, Microsoft is finally saying goodbye to WordPad. You know, that trusty application that made its debut back in the days of Windows 95 and came to the rescue when you needed to open a .doc file without having Word installed. Well, it’s time to bid adieu.
But why the sudden farewell, and what does this mean for your business, you might wonder?
Microsoft has recently dropped the bombshell that they’re pulling the plug on WordPad. The announcement came quietly, without much fanfare, and we’re not exactly sure when this parting of ways will occur, but it’s in the pipeline.
Let’s face it, though, how many times have you accidentally clicked on WordPad when you were actually aiming for Notepad? It’s a common mix-up. Notepad is your go-to for plain text, while WordPad strays more towards being a word processor. Confusing, right?
Could this frequent mix-up be the reason behind WordPad’s impending doom? Or perhaps Microsoft is gently nudging folks toward shelling out for Microsoft Word, a cornerstone of their Microsoft 365 suite.
In an excerpt from Microsoft’s recently updated list of deprecated Windows features, they suggest using Microsoft Word for your fancy, formatted documents and sticking to Windows Notepad for plain text ones. So, in simpler terms, WordPad seems to be fading into obscurity.
But let’s not get too sentimental here. Speaking as a lifelong Windows user, I’ll confess that I’ve mostly stumbled upon WordPad by accident. And if it does bid us farewell, I won’t be losing any sleep over it. There’s an abundance of other word processors out there, and I’ve grown rather fond of Word, to be honest.
However, if you’re a diehard WordPad enthusiast, don’t lose hope just yet. Microsoft is actually reaching out for feedback through the Windows Feedback Hub app. So, if there’s a groundswell of support, who knows? Perhaps Microsoft will have a change of heart and allow WordPad to stick around, even if it’s just as an optional, rarely-updated app in the Microsoft Store. If you need any assistance in finding the best apps for your business, feel free to get in touch.
